Everything's Different Now
by The Lilac Elf of Lothlorien
Summary: Sam's hallucinating with Lucifer and Anna along for the ride; Cas goes from God to human; Ziva, Celeste, and Fiona are going to be moms; and Crowley's trying to get Hell back under control. Yep, must be season 7! The Winchesters and extended crew are back in the 4th story in my 'Family Ties' series and things are going to get more interesting than ever before. Rating for safety
1. Crazy Is Every Day of Our Lives

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So I'm breaking my rule about posting stories without titles because my muse wanted to work on the next story in my 'Family Ties' series. (Please help this poor story find a title. The only suggestion I've had so far is "If It's Broke, Fix It". If you can think of something else, let me know!)

Now, in case you're wondering, this story will cover season 7 and while the Leviathans will NOT be making an appearance, I will be including Beck and Sam getting married. (Trust me... cat fights aplenty.)

Also, just an FYI, I'm including the last scene from 'Pieces of the Whole' as a recap for this story.

* * *

SUPERNATURAL: Untitled

(NCIS x-over—4th in 'Family Ties' series)

"_Ready for the big show, Cas?" Crowley said with a smile as he looked at the captive angel. Currently, Castiel was standing in the middle of a ring of holy fire looking… Well, Crowley was going to assume it was the angel's 'pissed off' expression, although it was actually kind of hard to tell. "Now, I don't want to panic you, but I imagine this will hurt a fair bit," the demon went on as he started painting an elaborate sigil on the wall in blood. _

"_Didn't you mother ever tell you not to finger paint on the walls?" _

_Crowley turned and pretended to look surprised when he saw the Winchesters, Fiona, Bobby, Ellen, and a trio of angels standing there. "Oh, my," Crowley drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm shocked by this unforeseen turn of events." Before anyone could raise a hand against him, the demon waved his hand and sent the whole lot flying across the room where they all landed in a heap. "Be with you in one moment," Crowley said, smirking, before he turned to the sigil._

_Celeste looked at the demon and watched in horror as the wall began to break apart and a burst of white light sprang from the hole and was swallowed up by Castiel. "Cas!" She screamed, scrambling to her feet. But before she could run to her brother, she felt two strong pairs of hands grab her tightly. "No!"_

_When the light disappeared, the ring of holy fire was gone as well and Castiel was lying on the floor, not moving._

"_Cas?" Dean said, hurrying over to the still form of his friend. "Are you alright?"_

_But just as Dean and Bobby knelt down, they were thrown back as Castiel suddenly rose to his feet. He looked at the others and there was the strangest smile on his face. "You needn't fear for me," Castiel stated, calmly. "I am better than alright." He looked at Gabriel. "My oldest brother. It is good to see you as an archangel again. And I am happy for you and your soul mate." Looking at Celeste, he added, "The same goes for you as well."_

"_Cas, are you okay?" Dean asked, looking at the angel with a puzzled expression. _

"_I am better than okay, Dean," Castiel reassured him. "I feel all the souls within me. Their power is mine now, to do with what I wish."_

_Sam was helping Fiona to her feet as the angel spoke and they both looked apprehensive at what was going on. "Uh… that's great, Cas," Sam said, tentatively. "So… What are you going to now?"_

"_I would have thought it would be obvious," Castiel replied, simply. "I am now your new God. A better God. You will bow down and profess your love onto me, your Lord."_

_For a moment, there was only silence until Crowley piped up, "If you lot don't mind, I think I'll take that as my cue to leave." And before even Cas could react, the demon had vanished._

"_Look, Cas," Balthazar said, calmly, as he approached his brother. "I hate to rain on your parade but you are not God. And you'd do best to get rid of those souls before you do something irreparable."_

_But Castiel didn't seem to be listening. In a more firm tone, he repeated, "I am your new God. And since you are my loyal family and friends, I will spare you from my wrath as long as you do not cross me."_

"_And if they do?" _

_Fiona looked horrified as she saw Gibbs standing in the middle of the room looking… oddly calm considering. But as the sight of her godfather registered, Fi frowned. "Gibbs? What are you doing here? How did you get here anyway?"_

_The others—minus Castiel—all seemed to be thinking the same thing. But Gibbs just studied the angel-turned-deity and said, "You're not God, Castiel."_

_Castiel frowned at that statement and shook his head once. "I am God. I have the power and I will smite you if you do not bow down to me."_

_Gibbs shook his head and replied with one word. "No."_

"_Bow down or I will destroy you!" Castiel commanded, moving towards the NCIS Special Agent. When he saw Fiona run forward to intercede, Cas sent her flying across the room where she lay in a heap, unconscious. Looking at the others briefly, he said, "You will not stop me." To Gibbs, he ordered one last time, "Bow down before me or I shall smite you and all those you hold dear."_

_But Gibbs wouldn't be intimidated as he stared at the angel. "You are not God," he repeated. "That power you're feeling? That's the souls of millions of demons and monsters vying for control and the more you fight, the weaker you'll get."_

_Cas took a step back and raised his hand, glaring as he snapped his fingers to blow up the man who had dared to defy him. But to in immense surprise, Gibbs was still standing without even a scratch on him. "What are you?" Castiel asked, a slight note of fear in his voice. _

_Around the room, everyone else looked on with mixed expressions. Sam and Dean looked genuinely afraid while Bobby and Ellen both looked dumbfounded. Gabriel and Balthazar seemed unsure of what to do while Celeste on the other hand seemed… oddly amused for some inexplicable reason. _

"_I told you," Gibbs said, his blue eyes meeting Castiel's. "You're not God, Castiel. I am."_

For a few moments, no one said anything.

And then Dean blinked in surprise as he said, "God?" Looking at Gibbs, he found himself completely dumbfounded. "_You're_ God?" when Gibbs nodded, Dean asked, "And, uh… how long has this been going on?"

"Just shy of two years, roughly," Gabriel said with a shrug.

There was another long silence but before anyone could say anything else, Castiel winged out.

"Celeste!" Gibbs/God barked.

"On it, Dad," Celeste replied, winging out as well.

God turned to Gabriel and Balthazar and studied the other two angels. "Balthazar, I want you to help Celeste. Try and keep an eye on Castiel and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Balthazar seemed amused by that statement and after a few seconds, he said, "Well, I think it's a little late for that, honestly."

Seeing Gibbs—God's—look, Dean quickly interjected, "He's got a point. You don't get much stupider than working with Crowley."

"Uh, Dean-o?" Gabriel said as he looked out the nearest window at the parking lot outside. "I don't think Cas is your only problem."

Dean darted over to the window and his knees nearly buckled as he looked down at his baby, now a crushed wreck. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no…. Cas! Not my car, you dick!" Turning to Balthazar, he snapped, "Find Cas! And when you do, tell him that my car is OFF LIMITS!"

"Dean," Sam said quickly, from where his position on the floor next to Fiona.

"Fuck," Dean muttered as he joined his brother. "Come on—we gotta get her outta here."

Bobby and Ellen hurried after the Winchesters, leaving the angels and God alone in the room.

* * *

The news of Fiona Winchester's accident brought a faint smile to the face of Atropos as she stood outside the hunter's hospital room, unseen by the crowds. The head injury wasn't serious, though and right now Fiona was simply sleeping off the concussion. But watching the hunter, Atropos wondered what might be the best way of permanently dispatching her.

"Whatever you're thinking of doing to Mrs. Fiona Abigail Winchester, I would strongly advise against it."

Atropos was startled by the sudden appearance of Death and she glared at him. "Cas and I had a deal! Fiona gets pregnant—she dies. End of story."

"I believe the particulars of the deal were that Fiona's bloodline wouldn't continue," Death countered, calmly. "Which is why Cas impregnated her with a different soul. One which you have already taken—against orders, I might add," he threw in when he noticed Atropos ready to interrupt.

The youngest of the Fates crossed her arms and kept glaring at the Horseman. "You actually resurrected someone I killed? For _what_? To screw with me? The Winchesters do _nothing_ except screw with the natural order and you're going to _reward them_ for it?"

Death said nothing as he waited to see if Fate was done with her little hissy-fit. When he was certain that she was, he explained, calmly. "Kelly Gibbs was not meant to die in the car crash that killed her mother."

"It was collateral damage!" Atropos said, angrily. "I thought she would survive! And what did it matter anyway? Gibbs still joined NCIS and everything still went the way God wanted."

The Horseman turned to look at Fiona for a moment before looking at Atropos. "All these years and you still don't understand."

Atropos was known for her temper and right now it was growing as it always did when she talked with Death. For some reason, the Horseman had an annoying knack for finding her button and leaning on them. "Understand _what_?"

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs is God's true vessel," Death explained. "And while Gibbs has repeatedly turned down God's offers to bring his family back, he has never lost the desire to be reunited with his lost child."

On the one hand that made sense, but Atropos still didn't get what that had to do with impregnating Fiona with Kelly Gibbs' soul. It wouldn't be the same as bringing Kelly back as the child would only have partial memories of her old life as she grew up.

But Death didn't even bother to explain properly as he turned and walked away, smiling to himself. Having had more than a few interactions with the Winchesters and their extended family, he knew that it was those bonds and connections that were the most important and what Atropos ultimately could not understand. Sam and Dean were so emotionally attached that even dying wasn't enough to tear them apart. Of all the human characteristics Death had observed, it was the idea of family that he was most fascinated by.

It was most interesting, though, with Sam and Dean Winchester, though. Death had seen siblings go their separate ways and even fight one another to the death—no pun intended. But no matter how dark things were for the Winchesters or how much the two brothers fought, they always seemed to come back together. Not even demon blood and starting the apocalypse had been enough to cause a permanent rift between the two.

Given all that, Death figured it was time to give Sam and Dean a break or two. True, they did have the most annoying habit of screwing up the natural order… But existence was far more entertaining with the Winchesters in the mix.

* * *

As soon as Crowley had scampered, he'd quickly gone to his last-ditch bottom rung hideaway—a trailer park outside of Manchester, Tennessee.

Shortly after setting up shop, the King of Hell made sure that the sigils to hide him from angels as well as keeping him off the demonic radar.

"Hello, Crowley."

The demon froze, turning his head only slightly to see Castiel standing in the RV looking rather amused.

"You look stressed," Cas observed, enjoying the twitchy look on Crowley's face.

Crowley swallowed hard and instantly tried to pop out but found himself grounded. "Bollocks," he muttered, realizing that he was as trapped and powerless as if he was in a devil's trap. Getting out of the rather uncomfortable chair he'd been sitting in, he said, "So the jig is up… You found me."

"I never lost you," Castiel replied, looking at the sigils on the walls and ceiling.

"No, but you tried to lose us," Celeste said as she winged in followed by Balthazar. Seeing her brother about to try and kill her, she held out a hand and sent him up against the nearest wall. "Handy trick, huh? Dad loaned me some of his powers. You're coming with us, Cas. You and Crowley."

"I'm sorry, but why me?" Crowley asked, not liking the angel's tone.

"For starters, what you did to my brother," Balthazar replied, coldly. "And for what you did to Sam Winchester. And by the way…" Pulling out a sawed-off shotgun, he fired at Crowley who was thrown backwards by the blast. "Dean sends his regards."

* * *

Lying on his back on the front seat of the Impala, feet braced against the roof, Dean pushed as hard as he could, hearing the metal groan as he tried to fix his car.

Everything was so fucked up right now.

Cas was on the world's biggest power trip, Sam's brain was a mess of hallucinations and Hell flashbacks, Ziva was getting more and more temperamental due to pregnancy hormones… and now Fiona was pregnant as well.

"Need a hand, Bigwig?"

Looking up, Dean was surprised to see Sam standing next to the window. "First time you've called me that in years," Dean said as he climbed out of the car. Studying his brother with the practiced intensity that only an older sibling could possess, he asked, "How you doing?"

"I'm… I'm alive," Sam shrugged as he circled the car. "Fi's still out. Gabriel brought her over before dawn this morning. She was still asleep. Docs think that she'll be fine."

Dean just nodded without saying a word but he noticed how quiet Sam was being and that usually happened when something was bothering him. "What about you?"

"I'm good," Sam replied, quickly. "Anna's still hanging around but Lucifer's not, so…" He knew that wasn't what his brother was talking about but he didn't want to talk about the real issues. Fiona being pregnant changed everything. Once this whole mess with Cas was over, Sam thought about what he would do now that he was going to be a father. His own dad has dragged him all over the country on hunting trips and Sam wanted a better life for his own kid.

On the other hand, Jo wasn't exactly raised in the life and she still became a hunter.

"So how long until Ziva has the twins?" Sam asked, curiously.

Dean perched on the rear corner of the Impala and shrugged. "Couple months."

"Figured out names yet?" Sam wanted to know. Last he'd heard, Dean and Ziva hadn't settled on any yet.

This managed to get a smile from Dean and he grabbed a pair of beers from the cooler nearby. Handing one to Sam, he said, "Well, Ziva's having a boy and a girl. So we're naming our son Robert Jonathan and our daughter Beretta Talitha."

Sam paused with the beer bottle halfway to his lips and raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right? Beretta Winchester?"

"I know, man," Dean said, shaking his head. "And Ziva came up with that one."

Sam let out a sigh and after a moment, he asked, "Look, what are we going to do? About Cas? About… About the fact that no matter what we do… we'll never really be able to quit all this."

Dean stood up as he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right, Sammy. But right now we need to focus. Any word on Cas?"

"Celeste and Balthazar managed to track Cas and Crowley down," Sam replied. "That's the good news."

Not liking the way his brother said the words 'good news', Dean asked, "So what's the bad?"

Sam gave a wry laugh and replied, "After Gibbs—God—pulled the souls and other…whatever out of Cas, it drained his angel mojo."

"Come again?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow. "So what you're saying is that Cas is…?"

"Human," Sam finished before downing the rest of his beer. "Crazy, huh?"

Dean nodded as he started working on the car again. "Every day of our lives is crazy, Sammy."


	2. Half Baked Hunt

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Today, I turn 30. And to celebrate, I'm updating the 4th story of my Family Ties series. And I have to say, I never imagined this series would go on so long. And I finally figured out a title as you've likely seen.

Now about this chapter—Diane Mott Davidson is my favorite mystery writer and her series revolves around a caterer named Goldy who lives in a small town called Aspen Meadow in Colorado. Goldy used to be married to a local doctor who physically abused her. After a while, she divorced him. Goldy has one child—a son named Arch.

After a couple years, Goldy remarried—her second husband is a homicide investigator named Tom Schultz.

At the end of DMD's book 'Crunch Time', Goldy finds out that her ex-husband had a son with a young candy striper at the local hospital.

As always, any questions on the Diane Mott Davidson stuff can be asked in a review and I'll fill in gaps best I can.

Chapter 2 Half-Baked Hunt

_(X-over chapter w/Diane Mott Davidson)_

* * *

The sun was starting to rise as the Impala headed down the mountain road towards Aspen Meadow, Colorado.

It seemed unusually warm for being September, but there was a cool breeze blowing through the open windows which managed to keep the car's interior temperature at a bearable level.

As Dean navigated towards town, he kept glancing at the rearview mirror where Castiel was sitting in the backseat staring straight ahead. With the angel now human, he often had problems adapting to his situation. "Doin' okay, there, Cas?"

Cas nodded. "Tell me again why we're going to Colorado," he said, looking at Dean.

Sam, who had been studying the printouts he'd made before they'd left Bobby's house, looked at Cas as well and said, "Friend of Dad's called. His wife and his wife's best friend are being attacked by the wife's ex-husband who also married the best friend."

"Only problem is that the ex is dead," Dean threw in. "Shot by some woman who he raped when she was a kid." Although he tried to keep the emotion out of his voice, the idea that this ghost was a rapist and probably a murderer as well made Dean's blood boil. Looking at his brother, he asked, "So what about the two victims?"

"Goldy Schultz and Marla Korman," Sam supplied. "Goldy's a caterer and Marla is a socialite." As they reached the edge of town and the Mountain Motel, Dean pulled into the parking lot and turned off the Impala.

Once in the motel room, Sam and Dean changed from their usual clothes into identical dark blue suits before looking at Cas. "Cas, you stay here till we get back," Dean instructed as he headed out of the room with his brother.

Once alone, Castiel stood for a few minutes, taking in the surroundings. The room had a wild west motif and was quite plush. There were two beds and a couch in the corner where Cas tossed his own bag before going to the table where Sam had set his laptop computer. Logging onto the internet, he began randomly surfing, frowning as he clicked on a particular link. As the video uploaded, a young man wearing a black hat and sports coat along with a loosely hung red tie and glasses came up and said, cheerfully, "Hello, I'm the Nostalgia Critic. I remember it so you don't have to…"

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Knocking on the door of the Schultz residence, Sam waited a few moments before the door opened revealing a teenage boy with toast colored hair and wire-framed glasses. "Hi," Sam said, cheerfully as he withdrew the fake badge he carried. Without even looking, he could tell that Dean was doing the exact same thing. "I'm Special Agent Mann. This is my partner, Special Agent Brodie. We need to talk with your mom."

The kid nodded and stepped aside. "She's in the kitchen."

Heading inside, Dean resisted the urge to moan with pleasure as various food aromas—and specifically the scene of homemade pie—wafted past his nose. Glancing over at Sam, he just said quietly, "Dude…"

Sam grinned as he, too, caught the aromas of cooking and baking food. Going into the kitchen, he found Mrs. Goldy Schultz finishing up an enormous bowl of pasta salad while chicken breasts and vegetables were grilling. "Mrs. Schultz," Sam said as he once again held up his badge. "Hope you don't mind that your son let us in."

"Not at all," Goldy said with a smile. Her short, curly blond hair was starting to frizz a bit but she was a very lovely woman. After washing her hands, she looked at the two feds and asked, "Can I fix you something while we talk? I just finished the pasta salad for a catering assignment and there's pie that should be ready."

"Sounds good," Dean replied quickly before Sam could protest. As the two sat at the kitchen counter, Dean noticed hand-shaped bruises on Goldy's arm. "So you want to tell us about these attacks, Mrs. Schultz?"

Goldy looked away as she dished up pasta salad and placed two plates in front of Sam and Dean before looking to make sure that her son, Arch, had gone upstairs. "I know how it sounds. Tom, my husband, thought maybe I was just having nightmares or flashbacks, but… But my ex-husband—Dr. John Richard Korman—is the one who attacked me. I know he's dead, but…"

Sam seemed to space out for a moment but as his fingertips brushed the scar on his palm, he focused again as he said, "Tell us about the attacks."

Goldy worked on packing up her food, layering sliced of grilled chicken and vegetables across the pans of pasta salad. "It's always when I'm alone—when Tom's at work and Arch is at school. Or when I'm setting up at my catering center. He grabs me and hits me. Once, he sabotaged my food."

Dean nodded, thoughtfully. The obituary on John Richard Korman had mention that the man was buried in the local cemetery but Dean's gut told him that there was something other than vengeance tying the guy to his ex-wives. "Tell us about the guy. Before and after his death." Seeing Goldy's nervous look, he added, "Look, we can help you. But only if you talk to us." When Goldy continued to remain silent, Dean finished his plate quickly, pushing the thoughts of pie away as he spoke. "Look, I'm going to stay with you while you work. Sam will stay here and keep an eye on the kid, alright?"

"Arch's half-brother, Gus, is upstairs, too," Goldy advised.

"Don't worry," Sam assured her. "We'll be fine."

x

From the front yard, John Richard Korman watched as his ex-wife Goldy packed up her van and got in on the passenger's side. Before she left, however, some guy in a suit got into the driver's seat. The guy practically screamed 'fed' and as John Richard looked inside the house, he saw the fed's partner talking to Arch and Gus.

"Stupid kid," he growled quietly. "Stupid bitch of a wife. If the two of you had just been at the goddamn house earlier, I wouldn't be dead!" The last word was practically shouted and caused the tree branches above him to crack and fall to the ground, the noise bringing the boys and the fed to the window. "Just try and protect them," John Richard said to himself as the fed shooed the kids to the living room. "I'll get all of you."

xxxxxxx

As Dean drove, following Goldy's directions, he asked her questions about her ex. And the more he heard, the more he knew that this ghost would not go quietly. But how to protect Goldy, Arch, and Gus? It was possible that even with burning the bones, The Jerk—as Goldy so eloquently named him—would still be around.

"How am I going to protect my family?" Goldy asked, as Dean drove the van up one of the country club streets. "My ex is dead and he's still trying to hurt me and my son. I never thought I'd believe in ghosts."

Dean sighed as he came to a very impressive mansion. Parking in the driveway, he turned to Goldy and waited until she met his eyes before he spoke. "I promise, I will do everything I can to keep you and your family safe. After today, do you have any other assignments?"

Goldy did a mental check of her calendar and finally shook her head. "No, none. Not until Sunday."

Nodding, Dean said, "Then until S—Special Agent Mann and I get John Richard shut down, you and your son will need to stay inside." When he saw the worried look on Goldy's face, he added, "Your son's half-brother, too. But… you may need to talk the kid's parents or whoever into letting him stay at your house for a while, just to be safe."

Goldy hated the idea of having to explain to Gus Vikarious's parents what was going on but the more she considered her options, she figured that maybe she'd just let the two federal agents do the explaining.

xxxxxxxxxx

"Agent Mann?" Arch asked as he helped Sam fix a quick lunch for the two of them as well as Gus who put out cans of soda at the table.

"Yeah," Sam said, looking at the teenager as he finished making grilled Panini sandwiches. After plating everything up and grabbing a bag of kettle-fried potato chips out of the pantry, he brought everything over to the table. "What's up?"

Arch looked nervous for a few moments and after a while, he exchanged a look with Gus who looked more than a little worried. When Gus finally gave a shrug, Arch sighed and rubbed the back of his neck for a second before he said, "Look, I know you and Agent Brodie are here because someone's been attacking my Mom and Marla."

Sam set his sandwich down and gave Arch and Gus his full attention. "Do you guys know something about who's behind these attacks?" He didn't want to push the boys too far but years of hunting told him to trust his instincts and right now his gut was telling him that the two teenagers had seen something.

Gus went first, and as he spoke, he sounded like he was trying to convince not only Sam but himself as well that he wasn't crazy. "Last night, I saw someone standing in the yard. A man. I told Arch and when he looked, he said… He said that it looked just like his dad. Well, and my dad, too, I guess." When Sam raised a questioning eyebrow, Gus glanced at Arch and explained. "Arch's dad got my mother pregnant after Arch was born."

"Look, I know my Dad's dead," Arch spoke up, quickly. I mean, I was at the funeral and…" he seemed to get choked up for a while but after a while he looked at Sam, his brown eyes pleading. "I'm not crazy, am I? I mean…"

Sam let out a deep sigh and after a moment or two of mental debate, he said, "Dean—Agent Brodie—and I investigate stuff that's… out of the ordinary."

"Like _The X-Files_?" Gus asked, looking interested.

"Pretty much," Sam replied. Looking at the half-brothers, he added, "Look, Dean and I are almost positive it's your dad doing this stuff and that means that we need to salt and burn his remains." His gaze went from one teenager to the other, gauging their reactions.

Arch looked stricken at that at first, but he slowly nodded his understanding. When Sam asked him if he was okay, Arch shook his head. "After Dad died… I found out that his girlfriend was the one who shot him. She did it because Dad raped her when she was about my age."

Sam repressed the urge to hug Arch. He knew that the young man would probably not be very welcome to the gesture, and so Sam just nodded.

"Besides," Arch added, worriedly. "Dad could come after me or Gus."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that, okay?" Sam reassured him. "Dean and I aren't going to let anything happen you guys."

xxxxxxxxx

When Goldy and Dean got back later that evening followed by Tom Schultz, Dean and Sam stepped outside to talk.

"We're definitely on the right track here, dude," Sam said, looking around. "John Richard is our ghost. The kids have both seen him."

"Goldy, too," Dean reported. Rubbing his face with one hand, he sighed and said, "Okay, we need to take this guy out tonight. And the sooner the better."

Sam nodded as well before looking over at the Impala. "I'll start putting a salt ring around the house. Once everyone goes to bed, we'll go to the cemetery and burn this creep's bones."

Dean didn't say anything but he just nodded before looking through the front window, watching as Tom put Goldy's catering dishes away before starting dinner. Catching sight of Gus and Arch, he felt yet another swirl of nerves. Ziva was on maternity leave and due to have the babies in about a month. When they were born, things would be changing and Dean wondered if he was ready for that.

"So you two are the feds Goldy was telling me about."

The brothers turned to see a heavy-set woman wearing a sparkling pantsuit in fall colors coming up the walkway from the driveway. Sam nudged Dean and they both pulled out their fake badges, flashing ID. "Can we help you, Miss…?"

"_Ms._," the woman corrected, shaking hands with Sam and Dean. "Ms. Marla Korman, The Jerk's other ex-wife." Lowering her voice, she added, "Goldy told me your idea that El Jerko is still hanging around. If that's the case, anything I can do to help you stop him for good, just let me know."

When the front door opened, Goldy looked at the trio and said, "Dinner's just about ready. Tom's finishing up the burgers and potato salad now."

"You know me," Marla replied, brightly. "I never turn down a Tom Schultz grilled burger."

Dean followed Marla inside while Sam went to grab the rock salt to put a line around the outside of the house.

Tom looked at Dean, giving the hunter a smile as he flipped the burgers he was grilling on the stovetop. "Been a long time since I saw you, Dean. You were maybe 6. John saved my butt from a poltergeist."

Goldy paused for a moment as she set a bowl of leftover pasta salad on the table. Looking at Tom, she raised an eyebrow. "You never told me about that."

But Tom just gave her a warm smile and replied, "I didn't think you would have believed me, Miss G."

As the group sat down to eat, Dean glanced over at Sam who was chatting with Arch and Gus. It was surprising how well the three seemed to get along and Dean couldn't hold back his smile.

"So do you or Sam have any kids yet?" Tom asked, curiously, as he turned to Dean. Catching Dean's look, Ton nodded at the wedding rings the Winchesters wore.

"Not yet," Dean replied, thinking of Ziva. "In about a month, though."

x

After dinner, Dean decided to head back to the motel to change into more appropriate clothes for digging up a grave. Plus, he wanted to call and check on Ziva. Maternity leave wasn't really her style, and getting her to just relax was a job on it's own.

Before he opened the door, he paused, hearing laughter coming from inside the room. Frowning slightly, he opened the door and stepped inside, taking in the sight before him. Castiel was sitting at the table, Sam's laptop open in front of him. As Dean walked around the table so he could see the screen, he stopped when he saw the man in the online video Cas was watching. "I knew that guy."

Cas paused the video and turned to Dean. "He is very humorous," the former angel replied.

"His name is Doug Walker," Dean went on as he changed clothes. "He was one of Sam's friends at one of the high schools we were at." After grabbing his jacket, Dean looked over at Cas and sighed before turning the computer off and closing it. "Come on. We've got a body to burn."

xxxx

Finding John Richard Korman's grave wasn't too hard, even in the middle of the night, and once the two men had opened the coffin, Dean climbed out and tossed plenty of salt on before Cas extracted himself from the grave and poured on the lighter fluid.

"You seem bothered by something," Cas observed as he looked at Dean. When the hunter remained silent, Cas tried again. "I have come across countless humans in my years but none as confusing as you, Dean Winchester."

"Yeah, how's that?" Dean asked, watching the flames consume Korman's body.

Castiel looked at the burning corpse and then at Dean again. "You long for a normal life. You have a… a romanticized notion of normality and what it means. Yet faced with the reality, you flee from it." When Dean turned to face him, Cas said, "What I do not understand is why."

Dean waited until the body was mostly burnt before he said, "I'm scared, Cas. The twins will be born in a couple weeks and I don't know if I'm ready to be a dad."

It was understandable, Cas had to admit. John Winchester was hardly father of the year material. But after a moment, he said, "I think that you will be a remarkable father and when your children are grown, they will be grateful that you raised them."

xxxxxxxxx

The following morning, the Winchesters and Cas headed over to Goldy's house after packing up the Impala.

When the trio arrived, they were greeted with the divine aromas of maple ham, quiche, and cinnamon.

"Where's Tom and the kids?" Sam asked, curiously as he looked around.

"He took the boys fishing for the day," Goldy explained before gesturing to Sam, Dean, and Cas to sit down. "I thought I'd make you three breakfast to say thank you."

"No thanks necessary," Dean assured her. "I'm just glad it's over now for you."

Goldy poured cups of coffee and brought plates of ham, sliced quiche, cinnamon rolls, and a big bowl of sliced fruit over to the table and sat down, enjoying the looks on the hunters' faces as they ate. It was probably rare that these guys got any bit of mothering and they seemed grateful for it.

After breakfast, Sam got in the front passenger seat while Castiel got in the back.

Dean went to shake hands with Goldy and was surprised when she gave him a large insulated bag and three boxes. "What's all this?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Something for the road," the caterer replied with a smile. Giving Dean a quick kiss on the cheek, she added, "Take care, Dean. Be safe."

Dean gave her a smile and a wink. "Don't worry about us. We'll be just fine."

As Gold watched the older Winchester head down the road a moment later, she smiled as she turned to head back inside.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter, Dean becomes a daddy!


	3. Family Ties Series Soundtrack

AUTHOR'S NOTES: When I first started working on my Family Ties series, there were only a few songs in my iTunes collection that seemed to fit the story. Now, however, there's a very long list. And since music often inspires my writing and vice-versa, I thought I'd share some of the music I feel goes along best with my story series. If you have questions on the songs or anything, just drop me a message!

* * *

SUPERNATURAL—Family Ties Series

The Soundtrack

* * *

_**General Songs**_

Kenny Chesney—You Save Me

Rascal Flatts—Every Day

John Mayer—Daughters

Rodney Atkins—If You're Going Through Hell

Bryan Adams—When You Love Someone

Katie Campbell & Dominik Hauser—Flying Dreams

Hootie & the Blowfish—One Love

* * *

_**Dean and Ziva**_

Joe Nichols—Gimmie That Girl

Amanda Marshall—Trust Me (This Is Love)

REO Speedwagon—Can't Fight This Feeling

Huey Lewis & the News—Doin' It All(For My Baby)

Michael Buble—Haven't Met You Yet

Elton John—I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues

Bryan Adams—I Will Always Return

Peter Gabriel—In Your Eyes

Keith Urban—Somebody Like You

* * *

_**Sam and Fiona**_

Amanda Marshall—Marry Me

Heather Nova—It's Only Love

Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram—Somewhere Out There

Bryan Adams—When You Love Someone

* * *

_**Tony and Celeste**_

Bryan Adams—Let's Make a Night To Remember

Darryl Worley—Tequila On Ice

Billy Joel—The Longest Time

Keith Urban—I Told You So

The Heights—How Do You Talk To An Angel

Amanda Stott—Homeless Heart

Peter Salett—Heart of Mine

* * *

_**Misc. Couples**_

England Dan & John Ford Coley—I'd Really Love to See You Tonight

Joshua Kadison—Beautiful In My Eyes

Bryan Adams—Inside Out

Michael Buble—Come Fly With Me

* * *

_**Multiple Characters(Non-couple songs)**_

Billy Joel—Tell Her About It

Amy Grant—Lucky One

Rascal Flatts—Bless the Broken Road

Darius Rucker—Be Wary of a Woman

Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart & Sting—All For Love

Bryan Adams—A Little Love

Bob Seger—Beautiful Loser

Gretchen Wilson—The Earrings Song

Bryan Adams—Nothing I Have Ever Known

Don Henley—Taking You Home

Chantal Kreviazuk—Feels Like Home

* * *

_**Individual Character Songs**_

George Strait—I Saw God Today

Hope Partlow—Who We Are

Amanda Marshall—Best of Me

Sonia Leigh—I Just Might

Sonia Leigh—A Poem From the Ocean Floor

Bryan Stokes Marshall—Through Heaven's Eyes

Phil Vassar—Last Day of My Life

Keith Anderson—I Still Miss You

The Wilkinsons—Shame On Me

Keith Anderson—Every Time I Hear Your Name

Montgomery Gentry—If You Ever Stop Loving Me

Faith Hill—Wild One

Bryan Adams—This Is Where I Belong


	4. Family

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So I'd meant for this to be longer, but after a while I thought short and heartfelt beat longer and dragging.

Chapter Summary: Ziva becomes a Mommy!

Chapter 3

* * *

_Family_

* * *

The sharp pain of her first contraction was what first alerted Ziva that the babies were coming.

Then her water broke.

After that, all hell broke loose.

Fiona had been staying with Ziva while she was on maternity leave and as soon as the NCIS agent started going to labor, Fi grabbed Ziva's bag and the two women headed out to the car before racing to the hospital.

xxxxxxx

As the doctors wheeled Ziva up to delivery, they were astonished by the constant stream of cursing coming from the woman's mouth. Well, not so much the profanity as the myriad of languages the words were spoken in with French, Hebrew, Arabic, and Spanish being prominent.

"Where the Hell is that _benzona_?!" Ziva screamed as she felt another contraction. She then let loose with yet another stream of profanity and Fi tried not to smile as she heard Ziva slip into Afghani as she promised to castrate and murder Dean as soon as she saw him.

"Mrs. Winchester?" A nurse said, looking at Fiona. "I need some information and since Ziva's husband isn't here yet—"

As Ziva let out another scream of pain followed by "Tell Dean I will kill him with my bare hands for doing this to me!" Fiona nodded at the hallway and followed the nurse outside.

"First off, I need the babies' names," the nurse said, pulling out a clipboard and a pen. "Do you know if they have any picked out yet?"

Fiona nodded and smiled. "Robert Jonathan and Beretta Talitha," she replied, enjoying the look on the nurse's face as she wrote the names down.

"Beretta Winchester?" the nurse asked, curiously.

"Seriously," Fi insisted. Looking down the hallway, she caught sight of Dean, Sam, Tony, and Gibbs hurrying towards her. "Dean's here, by the way." She waved and when Dean got to her, she said, "Dean, Ziva really could use you in there."

Sam pulled Fiona into a hug and as she would her arms around his neck, he heard her laugh as Ziva started screaming at Dean. "That was mean," Sam said, even though his eyes were smiling. Pulling away a bit, he put a hand over Fiona's abdomen. "So…"

Fiona's smile was peaceful as she put her hand over Sam's. "You nervous?"

"Of course he is," Lucifer said as he appeared behind Fiona. "He's going to be a _lousy_ father. He'll be too busy hunting to help raise the kid and as soon as he's old enough, Sam's gonna raise him to be a hunter."

Sam withdrew quickly, fear in his eyes. "No, I'm not going to do that to my kid."

But Lucifer wasn't done yet. He just smirked as Fiona gave an anguished scream of pain and started bleeding from an unseen wound on her stomach. She fell to the floor, lifeless, her eyes open and dull in death before she was suddenly on her feet again. Fi's eyes were now white as they had been when she'd been possessed by Lilith.

"You don't deserve a family, Sammy," Lilith said, coldly as she walked towards Sam who back up until he was against the nearest wall. "You're the reason Mommy's dead. You couldn't kill Azazel and your Daddy spent more than 100 years in Hell because of it. Dean went to Hell to save your worthless ass…You paralyzed Fiona and Dean's little wife and his kids are dead because of you, too."

Sam started to argue but then he heard the nurses and doctors in Ziva's room shouting.

"She's bleeding out!"

"We've lost the babies' heartbeats!"

"No pulse on Ziva or the babies! We're losing them!"

"Time of death…1432. I'm sorry, sir—both you son and daughter didn't make it."

Dean suddenly appeared in front of Sam, his hands around his younger brother's throat. He squeezed hard, the look in his eyes vicious and unforgiving. "_You _killed Ziva and _you_ murdered my children!" He backed off for one moment before plunging a knife into the side of Sam's chest with an upwards thrust so that he got his brother's heart and lung.

Sam's last moment was of his brother staring at him and saying, "Go to Hell."

"Sam!"

Sam snapped back to reality and he looked around, wildly. There was nothing out of the ordinary and without a thought, he grabbed Fiona, hugging her tightly as he felt tears in his eyes.

Even though the embrace was seemingly random to anyone observing, Fiona knew that most likely Sam had just had a mental visit from Lucifer. "It's okay," she told Sam as she hugged him back. "I'm right here. I'm fine."

Sam looked at his amazing wife and was about to say something when a high pitched scream interrupted him.

Sam and Fi hurried into Ziva's room just in time to see the nurse holding the first of Ziva's twins.

"Mom and Dad, meet your son, Robert," the nurse said with a smile as she handed the newborn to Ziva who looked overcome with emotion as she held the infant.

Dean had an almost goofy look on his face as he looked at his son but there was more love and happiness in his eyes that Sam had ever seen before.

The doctor looked at Dean and Ziva who seemed reluctant to relinquish their son to the nurse and there was a twinkle in his eye as he said, "Don't worry, you've have another one coming—if she'll ever come out, that is."

Ziva handed Baby Bobby to the nurse and glared at Dean. "She takes after you," she said, even though there was a sparkle in her eyes.

"No," Dean laughed. "She takes after her stubborn mama."

xx

It took almost two hours for Beretta Talitha to be born.

The doctor had been all set to send Ziva to surgery for a c-section but just as Ziva nodded, she felt her daughter coming.

Two minutes later, the little girl arrived and Dean shook his head as he saw Ziva's eyes looking up at him. Beretta had his nose but her brown eyes were unmistakably her mother's.

While the nurses helped Ziva get cleaned up along with the babies before taking them to the nursery, Dean and Sam headed to the cafeteria for coffee.

"You okay, Sammy?" Dean asked as the two sat down at a table. He knew that his brother wasn't okay, especially when Sam kept looking around nervously and running the thumb of his right hand over the scar on his left palm.

For once, Sam didn't bother lying. "No, not really." When Dean raised a questioning eyebrow, Sam shook his head dismissively. "Lucifer…"

Dean didn't really want to hear any more. Who knew what was going on in Sam's head right now? The spell that Crowley had cast was causing him to relive his time in the Cage and hallucinate that Lucifer was still around. "It's not real, Sammy," Dean assured him. The words had become something of a mantra lately but Dean always wondered just how much his brother believed it.

Trying to get Dean to stop worrying about him, Sam quickly finished off his coffee and stood. "Come on—let's go see my little baby niece and nephew."

x

Up in the nursery, Sam wasn't surprised to see that little Bobby John was sleeping like a rock. He had light brown hair like Dean's and Ziva's nose and as he slept, his nose crinkled slightly just like Dean's did.

Beretta, on the other hand was awake and seemed to be looking around, trying to take in everything around her.

"Congratulations!" Gabriel said as he suddenly popped in along with Celeste who—oddly enough—looked to be nearly 6 months pregnant. Catching the Winchesters' looks, the archangel explained, "Angel pregnancies are much shorter than humans."

"Do you know what you're having yet?" Sam asked as Celeste pulled a candy bar out of her pocket.

Celeste finished off the candy first and then nodded. "A girl," she replied, putting a hand on her stomach as the baby started kicking. "Grace Kelly DiNozzo." When Sam and Dean shared a laugh about that, Celeste smiled as well. Shrugging, she explained, "Tony picked the name. You know, since an angel's powers come from their grace. And he wanted her to also be named after Gibbs' daughter."

"Yeah, how does God feel about all this?" Dean asked, his curiosity piquing. Ever since hearing about Tony and Celeste and then later about Abby and Gabriel, Dean had wondered about what the rules actually were about angels and mortals being together.

Celeste had wondered the same thing for a long time after meeting and falling in love with Tony. But whenever she went to God to ask for permission, her Father had just smiled and told her that He just wanted her to be happy. "Dad just wants me and Gabriel to be happy, so I'm guessing He's okay with it."

"Any idea when you're due?" Dean asked, looking at how pregnant Celeste looked. He couldn't imagine that it would be too much longer and he wondered how Tony was dealing with the impending role of fatherhood. Looking at his own kids, Dean wondered if he'd ever be ready.

xxx

Later that evening, Abby bounced into Ziva's hospital room accompanied by Fiona, Ellen, Jo, and Celeste. "Ziva! How are you? Oh, my God, we just stopped by the nursery on the way here—Little Bobby is _so_ adorable! And Beretta looks just like you!"

"Little Bobby?" Ziva said with a smile.

Ellen nodded as she handed the NCIS agent a wrapped gift basket. "To keep things simple—Little Bobby and Grandpa Bobby." Looking at Ziva who seemed tired, she asked, "You want us to go, honey?"

Ziva thought for a moment. She was grateful for the company but she also just wanted to get a good, long sleep. "I think I do just want to hit the straw."

"No worries," Celeste assured her. Looking at the others, she said, "I'll keep an eye on her."

As everyone left their various gifts behind and headed out of the room, Ellen put her arm around Jo who—for once—didn't argue.


	5. Homework For Readers

Homework for Readers

Hi there folks!

Now the next chapter of this story is going to require some studying and prep.

Why?

Because I am writing a mega-chapter as a crossover with the website ThatGuyWithTheGlasses dot com.

So here's your homework boys and girls: check out the site, watch some reviews, and especially watch the current mini-series/movie 'To Boldly Flee' since this will be the subject the next chapter of 'Everything's Different Now'.

So study up, everyone and I will have a new chapter up for you next week!


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